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It's with great pleasure we share the news that La Red de Innovacion e Impacto Program funded by the US Department of State and led by the World Environment Center will be extended for two more years to continue supporting entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainability in Central America and the Dominican Republic. We will continue working together to create opportunities for collaboration and sustainable growth. Click here for more information.

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Alice Korngold with the World Environment Center release a new study evaluating the leadership development value of nonprofit board service. The study also shows how companies can enhance nonprofit board-matching services for their employees. Companies supporting and participating include American Express, Datamaran, HP Inc., Johnson Controls, PIMCO, Symantec, and The Dow Chemical Company.

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WEC Europe hosted two workshops on September 22 and 28th in Germany on Sustainable Development Goals and Science Based Targets. The September 22 workshop in Munich provided an interactive session for member companies working to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals. On September 28, WEC Europe organized a Frankfurt workshop that explored how interested member companies can find value in committing to Science-Based-Targets, the management of internal processes and the validation of S-B-T commitments and further practices. For further details and links to summary visit here.

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WEC is pleased to announce that its 33rd annual Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development was awarded to HP Inc. (HP) on Thursday, May 11, 2017, during the Gold Medal Presentation Ceremony in Washington, D.C. An independent jury selected HP’s application for corporate responsibility initiatives such as its strategic alignment with 16 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, its supply chain responsibility and circular economy efforts, and genuine commitment to advocating on behalf of migrant workers, refugees, and underserved populations. - See more at: http://3blmedia.com/News/HP-Inc-Receive-World-Environment-Centers-2017-Gold-Medal-Award-Corporate-Sustainability

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On April 26 the WEC Europe office, led by WEC Europe Director Frank Werner, held a highly successful roundtable in Zurich, Switzerland, on the circular economy. Hosted by Dow, the discussion centered upon circular economy business solutions, as well as practical recommendations for implementation of circular economy innovations. Further information can be found in the roundtable agenda and summary.

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What new responsibilities have CMOs accepted in order to incorporate a heightened strategic commitment to corporate sustainability? How is sustainability illuminating new opportunities in the traditional marketing value proposition? Why is authenticity critical to sustainability communication strategies? What are some examples of top companies deploying marketing-sustainability integration in the “real world”? A report published by the Corporate Eco Forum (CEF) and World Environment Center (WEC) highlights how leading CMOs leverage sustainability thinking for smart business decisions.

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The Guatemalan Center for Cleaner Production (CGP + L), in partnership with the World Environment Center (WEC) and Rafael Landívar University, promoted a project benefiting a group of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which has drastically reduced production costs while implementing new environmentally friendly practices. In Guatemala, 76% of participating companies, mostly SMEs, report having achieved an average annual savings of US $4,000 in operating processes, states a Guatemalan article about the project.

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Whereas last year yielded agreements on important new commitments—a global climate accord, UN Sustainable Development Goals—this year began the important work of implementation for these and other important initiatives. WEC has mounted a major effort to assist companies to carry out their sustainability goals in harmony with the UN SDGs, explored the next generation of sustainability reporting, and begun an examination of disruptions and opportunities in business planning for the future. Our initiative examining the impact of sustainability in the C-suite continued with publication of a major new study on the transformation of the Chief Marketing Officer’s role and responsibilities. And, with an eye on the future, WEC’s Board of Directors is embarked on rethinking our strategic plan. Read about these and other exciting developments in the WEC 2016 Annual Review.

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WEC Chair Francisco Suárez has been featured in an excellent Mundo Ejecutivo interview on the role of private business in combating climate change and implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Together with Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Mr. Suárez explains that climate change mitigation reaches all areas of corporations, and this responsibility should resonate through their business strategies. Regarding the SDGs, “at WEC, we are convinced that cross-agency efforts between the private sector, government, and civil society are an effective way to move forward.”

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WEC is pleased to welcome three new jurors to its Gold Medal Award Jury. Our WEC Gold Medal Award for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development, now in its 33rd year, is a prestigious global accolade that recognizes sustainability excellence in an international company. The new jurors, all sustainability leaders, are Dick Bartelse of the Netherlands, Alice Korngold of the United States, and Clarissa Lins of Brazil. Mr. Bartelse is the recently retired Director of Procurement at AkzoNobel, Ms. Korngold is a respected business author, entrepreneur and governance analyst, and Ms. Lins, an economist and management analyst, is the Founding Partner of Catavento, an international consultancy. For more information please see http://3blmedia.com/News/World-Environment-Center-Appoints-Three-Global-Sustainability-Leaders-its-Independent-Gold

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At a forum centered upon the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mr. Yosie, along with Tomás Regalado Papini, president of the social action foundation FUNDEMAS, presented on the importance of business and government working hand in hand to advance the implementation of the SDGs. Both WEC's Ernesto Samayoa and Terry Yosie are currently visiting WEC initiatives in El Salvador in conjunction with the Pathways for Cleaner Production project. More information on the Cleaner Production project and the forum can be found at http://www.elsalvador.com/articulo/negocios/empresas-podrian-ganar-hasta-mas-con-practicas-desarrollo-sostenible-133541

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WEC and CESPEDES concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance sustainable business strategies and practices in Mexico. CESPEDES represents a variety of extraction, manufacturing and consumer businesses that have a common interest in managing scarce natural resources and promoting economic development. The MOU commits both organizations to organize two roundtables per year in Mexico; assess how sustainability can contribute to innovation, collaboration, and leadership development; and conduct joint efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, improve energy efficiency, establish sustainability goals and analyze global megatrends to benefit business planning and supply chain management. The MOU was signed by the CESPEDES’s Executive Director José Ramón Ardavín Ituarte and WEC CEO Terry Yosie. Great appreciation is expressed to WEC’s Chair Francisco Suárez for his leadership in bringing the two organizations together and recognizing their common interests.

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WEC CEO Terry Yosie and Mike Barry of Marks & Spencer have just published a piece exploring how several economic trends (on both the risk and opportunity sides) are transforming business models/strategies and our roles as consumers. https://www.greenbiz.com/article/me-economy-we-economy

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WEC
Latin America held the roundtable "Integrating Cleaner Production
practices for Talent Improvement and Competitiveness of the Private
Sector" in San Salvador, El Salvador on Friday, July 8th, under the
framework of the celebration of the 10th Anniversary of CAFTA-DR.
Panelists from academia, private sector, bank and student provided their
thoughts on how integrating sustainability practices can affect
positively to national sectors. Discussions included experiences of
advancing on environmental performance by local companies and how that
improved their efficiency, while committing with government regulations.
From the student and academic perspective, creating partnerships with
private sector provides the opportunity for future professionals to gain
experience at companies facilities, while SMEs learn from that exchange
and can contract young professionals with greater skills. This event
was held in coordination and support of the Ministry of Environment of
El Salvador and the OES office of the US Department of State.

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The World Environment Center (WEC) has been a major partner of the US Department of State and other nations in implementing both public and private sector and university cleaner production partnerships in Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua beginning in 2008 and continuing to the present time. On the 10th anniversary of CAFTA-DR, WEC President and CEO Terry F. Yosie was invited to give his remarks on the organizations' cooperation in the region. They can be viewed here: www.wec.org/cafta-dr-remarks/

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I want to thank each of you for your continuing participation in the World Environment Center (WEC). It is a great honor and responsibility to have been elected by the Board of Directors as your new Chairman, and I want to take this opportunity to share my thoughts on WEC’s focus and priorities for this year. Based on the results of our recent membership survey, I too believe in maintaining WEC as a strong, independent voice for business on sustainability issues. Indeed, 2016 provides even greater opportunities for WEC to strengthen the value it generates for member companies by providing vital leadership on important topics. With this in mind, I am convinced that we need to advance four important priorities in 2016:

1. Providing further focus on evaluating the role of sustainability in business transformation. This priority addresses the ongoing internal alignment within our own organizations, the growing role of sustainability in customer relationships, the assessment of new business models and megatrends, and the development of collaboration strategies to reach market scale. Last year, WEC published an innovative report on sustainability and Chief Financial Officers. Over the next several months, it will publish companion evaluations of sustainability and Chief Marketing Officers and Chief Procurement Officers. In addition, Marks & Spencer will host an April 27 roundtable on “Business Planning for the Future,” a business conversation among global thought leaders. This year’s Gold Medal Colloquium on May 20 will feature a set of interconnected discussions on innovation and marketplace transformation, public policy drivers, and changing customer expectations.

2. Continuing to expand our program on “Preparing Business Leaders for a Sustainable Future.” WEC is planning major roundtables on such diverse topics as managing human rights, integrating company reporting with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and examining the future of the electricity grid and the role of utilities and customers.

3. Expanding membership. Coca-Cola FEMSA and WEC are embarking on a major initiative to recruit leading Latin American companies into our membership. This is a region where WEC has considerable experience and many local partners. We are planning company visits and roundtables in Mexico and other nations this year. In addition, we have initiated membership discussions with companies in Asia, Europe and the U.S.

4. Updating WEC’s strategic plan. Given the rapid changes that impact our companies, governments, and stakeholders, it’s critical that WEC remain focused on the issues on which it can provide unique leadership. Based on your feedback from the recent membership survey, along with a similar evaluation involving major WEC stakeholders, the Board plans to evaluate our best options for the future at its May 19 meeting. As part of this review, we will conduct a benchmarking assessment comparing WEC with five other sustainability organizations. We will also review the future of the Gold Medal dinner, its funding, and worth in the context of strengthening WEC’s brand and value to membership.

Since joining WEC in 2010, I remain struck by its unique ability to continually attract the world’s thought leaders to interact with us on leading business challenges. WEC is able to achieve results far beyond those attained by many other groups, while maintaining a strong on-the-ground capability in many regions. While I believe WEC has made important progress in recent years, including its role as a resource to the broader sustainability community through social media and publications, it’s important that we continue to create new opportunities to expand its voice.

I look forward to serving as your Chairman in 2016. I welcome your thoughts—please let me hear from you.